Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Liu Tiezhu opened the door and was surprised to see his second aunt. He hadn't even had a chance to speak yet.

Second Aunt Xu quickly glanced around and, seeing no one in the courtyard, swiftly stuffed a package into his arms, whispering, "Tiezhu, take this inside and eat it quickly, don't let your grandma and the others find out."

I'm going back now, otherwise I'll be in trouble if your grandma finds out.

After saying that, he turned around and jogged away.

Liu Tiezhu immediately understood that his second aunt must have secretly kept some of the things in the package for them.

The second uncle and aunt were usually quite kind to the eldest son's family.

He quickly turned around and went inside, gently closing the door and placing the package on the rickety table inside.

"Tiezhu, who knocked on the door just now?"

Why don't you let them in and have a seat?

Zhang Su'e sat on the edge of the bed and asked, following the sound.

"Mother, it's Second Aunt."

She handed us a package and told us to eat it quickly, saying we shouldn't let Grandma and the others find out.

As Liu Tiezhu answered, he deftly unwrapped the package.

Inside lay four wild vegetable buns and two golden cornbreads, still slightly warm, clearly left out by my second aunt.

Although Zhang Su'e was blind, her expression softened upon hearing this: "This must have been secretly saved by your second aunt; she was very thoughtful."

You guys can share this stuff.

In the Liu family mansion, only the second brother and his wife never made things difficult for the eldest branch of the family; on the contrary, they often secretly helped them out.

Tao'er thought to herself, "My second uncle and aunt are really good to our family. They brought this over especially because they knew that Wang Shi and the others hadn't left any dinner for the eldest son's family."

Aunt Xu was also disliked in the Liu family. She had given birth to three daughters in a row and was often disliked by Wang. It was common for her to be scolded.

Second Uncle was an honest and upright man, but he was not well-liked in the Liu family, although he was slightly better than her father.

If there's an opportunity in the future, I'll lend a hand if I can.

Two cornbreads, one for each of the two children, Ayan and Huanhuan.

Tao'er shared the remaining cornbread with her older brothers and parents, and Qingge also got a cornbread, but she didn't touch it herself.

She had already eaten two pieces of mung bean cake and wasn't hungry at all. Besides, the wild vegetable bun was too rough on her throat for her to swallow.

After finishing his meal, the second brother, Liu Tiechui, wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, "Little sister, I'm going to the river to process the pheasants and rabbits. I'll be back soon."

"Second brother, I'll go help too." The eldest brother, Liu Tiezhu, also got up.

"Big brother, second brother, after you're done dealing with it, don't bring it back. Just find a place by the river where you won't be easily spotted, and roast all the wild rabbits and pheasants."

"All baked?"

"What will we say if your grandma and the others ask about it tomorrow?"

Liu Daniu said worriedly.

Tao thought for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, "Two are definitely not enough. We'll roast all four."

When the Wangs ask tomorrow, just say you didn't catch any game today; it's getting harder and harder to hunt in the mountains.

She thought to herself that if she cooked rice at home, not only would the chimney be smoking, but the aroma of the stir-fried dishes would also waft out, and if Wang or the other families found out, it would inevitably cause another uproar.

The family hasn't separated yet, and if they find out that the eldest son's family is secretly cooking rice, it will cause even more trouble.

It's much safer to grill it outside and bring it back.

"Honey, your mother won't let us eat."

What's wrong with my son eating everything he hunts himself?

Besides, they didn't see Iron Hammer bring back any prey last night, so what's there to be afraid of?

If you dare to divulge even a single word, I'm done living with you!

Zhang Su'e knew what kind of person her husband was and that she had to keep him in check.

"I listened to my wife and ate it all."

I was just worried!

Liu Daniu quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake!

"Okay, I'll do as my little sister says. I'll grill it outside and bring it back to eat."

Liu Tiechui nodded.

"There's a cave on the hill across the river. It's quite big, and usually only people go there to take shelter from the rain or to pass-by hunters."

"Brother, take these three things and the brush."

Tao'er took out three small porcelain bottles and a small brush from her bundle and handed them over.

"This bottle contains cumin powder, this bottle contains chili powder, and this bottle contains sesame oil."

Brush a layer of oil on the meat every now and then when grilling; this prevents the meat from burning and makes it more fragrant.

When I came back, I wrapped it tightly in a cloth and hid it well so no one could see it.

Those are the soul ingredients of barbecue; without them, the flavor is halved.

She prepared a lot in these spaces.

The eldest brother, Liu Tiezhu, took the bottle, carefully put it in his pocket, and nodded heavily: "Okay, little sister, don't worry, I'll remember."

You guys wait at home, your second brother and I will be back as soon as we've finished baking."

He couldn't help but marvel at how many wonderful things his younger sister had brought back this time.

"Big brother, second brother, be careful."

Tao'er then took out two more purses from her sleeve and handed one to each of them.

"Each of you should wear one of these two pouches; they'll protect you from insects and snakes. Wear them when you go up the mountain too."

The two older brothers took the purse, clutched it in their hands, felt a lump in their throats, and their eyes reddened.

This is what it feels like to have a younger sister.

It's so nice to have a younger sister.

The two of them held back their tears, turned around and left the room, not wanting Tao'er to see them like this.

As they walked outside the courtyard gate, Liu Tiechui couldn't help but whisper, "Big brother, little sister is so good to us."

I swear, if anyone ever bullies my little sister again, I'll fight them to the death.

"Me too."

Liu Tiezhu's voice was deep but firm.

"I swear I will protect my little sister with my life and not let anyone bully her, not even my grandparents."

"Big brother, let's hurry up and get the meat cooked quickly. We can't let our little sister and parents go hungry."

"And those two dolls!"

"Yes, yes, yes..."

"Let's go quickly!"

The two brothers quickened their pace and soon disappeared into the night.

Inside the house, Zhang Su'e could not see, but hearing the hurried footsteps of her two sons leaving and hearing her daughter's thoughtful arrangements, she felt both gratified and bittersweet.

She sighed softly, "Tao'er, you are the youngest in the family. Logically, we should all be protecting you, but now it's you protecting us."

Mother is heartbroken...

"Mother, what happened in the past wasn't your fault, so please don't be sad."

Tao'er walked over, took her mother's rough hand, and said in a soft but firm voice, "Isn't your daughter back now?"

Only when your eyes are healed and Dad's health has recovered will our family truly be better.

Let's not dwell on the bad things from the past.

Zhang Su'e's eyes welled up with tears, but she smiled and nodded: "Okay, let's not talk about it anymore."

Mother knows.

While everyone was distracted, Tao'er secretly took out a small pot of spiritual spring water from her sleeve, poured it into the plain water in the earthenware jar, and then poured a cup for each of her parents: "Father, Mother, drink more water, it's good for your health."

"Mother, I will treat your eyes starting tomorrow, but you mustn't tell anyone about this treatment."

Liu Daniu and Zhang Su'e nodded repeatedly, lowering their voices: "We won't say anything, we'll listen to Tao'er."